Backing up and restoring Palm databases

[Xenophile]

I know the recommended way to save data from a Palm and restore it is
to export and import it. But I do a complete disk image save every
week. When I had a problem with my Palm I restored my profile
(addresses & datebook) from the saved backup but the desktop software
did not recognize it. I notice many people are having the problem of
the desktop not recognizing their profile -- what's the problem and
how can I restore my addresses and datebook from a backup or from my
profile on another computer?

[Jim Anderson]

In article <13k3jf6...@corp.supernews.com>, zen...@earthlink.net
says...

You don't say if Pc or Mac?

On PC; using XP;
When you install Palm Desktop, XP seems to link to folders by more than
their name, (I.e. maybe a serial number?) you can copy the *FILES* from
the backup into the correct *FOLDERS* and that seems to work.

[Xenophile]

Thanks. It is a PC running XP and I did copy the address.dat and
datebook.dat files which did not appear on my desktop. I also tried
copying the user profile <usrname> and that didn't work. I did not
try copying the entire Palmone folder. I was too squeamish for that!
Especially since the folder is actually called "Sony Handheld" for
my Clie and I know even less abut that (the exe file is palm.exe and
accepts both my Clie and my Palm handhelds).

There should be some place where they tell you how the files are
handled since many people on Forums are asking why their calendar and
address book has disappeared when the files seem to be there.

Zenon

[Jim Anderson]

In article <13k4j2n...@corp.supernews.com>, zen...@earthlink.net
says...

OOOOHHHHH, a Clie, you should have mentioned that up front. Clie used
their own API for graphics, had their own 'Clie Organizer' and the files
may not be compatable with Palms newer desktop software.

Clie and XP should be included in all future posts. There are a bunch of
Clie fanboys and developers that hang out at www.1src.com/forums.
(that's a ONE-S_R_C as in 'one source')

[Xenophile]

Thanks for responding Jim,

I have both a Clie and a Palm Tungsten and they both work off the same
desktops. My laptop has the Palm install and my desktop has the Clie
install and the handhelds work with both. They give the same problem.
They both now have a working address.dat and datebook.dat, but they
are embedded deep inside the folders:
usr/usr/address/usr/usr/datebook/datebook.dat (or with the last file
being address.dat). Yes the second set of usr folders are embedded in
the address folder!

I got it to work by synching the desktop to a slightly out of date set
of records on the actual handheld (which then created an even more
embedded set of folders).

Zenonp